March 2019 LM_19039

Dr. Donna Simpson Leak Vice Chair of the Board

Dr. Cristina Pacione-Zayas Secretary of the Board Dr. Leak currently serves as superintendent of Community Consolidated Schools District #168. She previously served as assistant superintendent and superintendent of schools in Rich Township High School District #227, where she oversaw all functions of the district, including curriculum and instruction, federal and state grants, district improvement, and campus restructuring initiatives. Leak has been a member of the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics Board for several years and is a lead instructor with the Professional Learning Community academies. Leak received her Ph.D. in administration and supervision from Loyola University, Master of Arts in educational administration from Governor’s State University, and Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Pacione-Zayas currently serves as the director of policy at Erikson Institute, where she generates systemic solutions leading to equitable opportunities and positive outcomes for young children, families, and communities. Pacione-Zayas previously led the Latino Policy Forum’s Education Department with a focus on improving education policy in the birth-to-third-grade continuum that will produce positive outcomes for Latino and immigrant children. She managed a network of eight community schools in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, representing more than 1,500 youths and 650 adults, as the community schools director at Enlace Chicago. She received her doctorate in educational policy studies, Master of Education in educational policy studies, and dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in sociology and Spanish from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Susan Morrison Chair of the Education Policy Planning Committee

Morrison has worked as an Illinois educator and advocate for children for almost 40 years. She began her career as a social studies teacher, working for 10 years in Homer and Girard. Morrison taught middle and high school social studies and had administrative experience as a building principal and director of curriculum and instruction. She was also selected as the first state director for AdvancED at the University of Illinois. Morrison’s statewide leadership responsibilities have included positions as state director of school improvement, state director of gifted education, state director of education to careers and program director for many state and federal programs. She retired as

deputy superintendent/chief education officer at ISBE in June 2015. Morrison received her Master of Arts in educational administration from the University of Illinois Springfield, her bachelor’s degree from Cornell College and a specialist degree in the superintendency from Eastern Illinois University. She holds a Professional Educator License endorsed for teacher, principal and superintendent.

Dr. Jane Quinlan Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee

Dr. Quinlan currently is regional superintendent for the Champaign-Ford Regional Office of Education 9, where she previously was the assistant regional superintendent. She served as the vice president of the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools from 2011–13. She previously served as director of ROE SchoolWorks, the professional development division of Champaign-Ford ROE and Vermilion ROE. Quinlan also has worked as a reading and language arts specialist at Education Service Center 13, where she later became assistant director and director. She received

her Ph.D. in educational organization and leadership and her Master of Education in reading from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

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